a.) Peter Jackson does not own any of the rights for Tolkien's legendarium. George Lucas on the other hand owns Star Wars.

b.) The tone of "The Hobbit" is vastly different from "The Lord of the Rings". Jackson did not create this distinction. The original Star Wars trilogy was full of childish, non-sensical humour too (C-3PO, ewoks).

c.) How do you know that "The Hobbit" will put the technology ahead of the story? Have you seen the film yet? Are you one of the editors, working on the film right now?

d.) "The Lord of the Rings" used plenty of CGI shots too.

Could "The Hobbit" share the same fate as Lucas' prequel trilogy? While I think it is unlikely, the possibility exists. The thing is, a lot of adolescents who liked/loved the LOTR trilogy could be dissappointed with the Hobbit, just as many people who had loved Star Wars as children hated the prequels. The original Star Wars trilogy was full of moronic humour, awful dialogue, shallow characters and a world view created for eight-year-olds...people just started complaining when they saw the same stuff again as adults. Yes...the prequel trilogy accentuated the weaknesses, but the fact remains that the whole prequel franchise is hugely popular with children - and Star Wars is for children. A similar reaction could happen with "The Hobbit". It could be regarded as a childish, less gritty version of the Lord of the Rings. While a lot of people might not like this, "The Hobbit" is just that: A light-hearted fairy-tale. Ceterum censeo montem artis magicae atrae esse delendum.